Minn. Orchestra's Vanska pleads for resolution to labor dispute

Osmo Vanska, the critically acclaimed music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, ended his near-total silence on the orchestra's labor dispute in an appeal to the board and musicians this week.

His impassioned plea "from the bottom of my heart," urged the sides, "Please, do what it takes, find a way, talk together, listen to each other and come to a resolution of this dreadful situation."

Vanska, who has lead the orchestra for nine sesons, wrote, "I fear that we may be on a path to diminishing greatly, if not destroying, the Minnesota Orchestra as an artistic and cultural leader." He described himself as "desperately anxious" about the impasse, and said that minus a resolution, he may need to "consider letting go of remaining recording projects we have planned" and to rethink bringing the orchestra to Carnegie Hall for four concerts in 2013-14, and to international touring dates thereafter, including a re-invitation to the BBC Proms.

Click here for the complete letter, which Vanska delivered Monday to the orchestras president and CEO Michael Henson and to board chair Jon Campbell.It is addressed to both the board and and musicians of the orchestra.